NASA and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) are gearing up to launch their first 2025 sounders from Poker Flat as part of a mission to better understand different types of aurora. Scientists are especially focused on black auroras, aiming to study electrons within these regions for deeper insights into their behavior.
This initiative includes two key missions: the Black and Diffuse Aurora Science Surveyor (BaDASS) led by NASA astrophysicist Marilia Samara and the Ground Imagining to Rocket Investigation of Auroral Fast Features (GIRAFF), led by Robert Mitchell. BaDASS will explore electron energies, densities, and flow directions in black auroras, while GIRAFF will study fast-pulsating and flickering auroras to understand wave-particle interactions.
Both projects aim to launch three two-stage Black Brant IX rockets from Poker Flat, capable of reaching over 200 miles altitude. Optical observations for both missions will be conducted from Venetie, UAF’s geophysical research facility on the Teedrinjik River.
Since 1971, Poker Flat has been the sole university-owned rocket launch site in the world, handling over 2,000 sounding and meteorological launches. A related mission is planned for March, involving three rockets to study density, wind, and composition changes impacting auroral substorms.
Contact Carter DeJong at 907-459-7545 or [email protected] for more information.
Source: https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/two-aurora-missions-will-kick-off-poker-flat-s-2025-launch-season/article_c242c7f2-d6b9-11ef-92eb-07dc98bad737.html